









, LIBRARY 

I UNIVERSITY OF 
CALIFORNIA 

I SAN DIEGO j 









THE MUSES UP-TO-DATE. 





































COPYRIGHT, 1898, 
BY WAY & WILLIAMS 


TO THE MEMORY OF 

EUGENE FIELD 


V 










THE AUTHOR'S PROLOGUE . 


The attempt to write a series of plays for children 
presents at once the somewhat embarrassing question , 
who are children and what would they consider pe¬ 
culiarly appropriate in the line of plays? As to the 
first clause , the reader must decide for himself, but 
concerning the methods of play-construction for chil¬ 
dren the authors have entertained some positive opin¬ 
ions , based on observation of children's performances 
and on some experience with private theatrical enter¬ 
tainments. It has seemed to them that the most suc¬ 
cessful plays , so-called , are those which afford plenty 
of action with just enough dialogue to serve the pur¬ 
pose of introducing the specialties of singing and 
dancing , and of preserving a continuity of plot or 
story. In fact , experience has demonstrated that the 
most pleasurable entertainments given by children 
have been those in which the playwright has sacri¬ 
ficed his own ambitions to the individual talents of 
the performers and to their natural liking for songs , 
and dances , and tableaux , and artistic groupings. 
Plenty to do and little to say may be considered , all 
in all, the principle on which children's plays should 
be founded and on this principle the collaborators in 
this little book have proceeded. 


viii 


THE AUTHOR’S PROLOGUE 


Another point demonstrated by experience is that 
plays in which the characters may be assumed ex¬ 
clusively by girls are often the most successful. It 
does not follow that boys have not been considered in 
the preparation of this volume, but the point has been 
nevertheless borne in mind, and if boys are not avail¬ 
able or regarded desirable it will be easily possible to 
dispense with their services in a majority of the plays 
offered. The play of “ Cinderellaas herein pre¬ 
sented, has been put on by girls ranging from eight 
to fifteen years of age, with possibly more satisfactory 
results than would have been reached with boys in 
the cast. The advantage of a company exclusively 
feminine will be at once appreciated by all who have 
had experience with dramatic rehearsals. 

We do not feel that an apology is necessary for the 
surrender of so much space to the story of Cinderella. 
It is a popular theme in childhood and affords dra¬ 
matic possibilities which every child immediately 
recognizes and enjoys. “ The Modern Cinderella ” is 
a whimsical overturning of the old story, following 
the same general lines with a shifting of personal 
characteristics. “ The Wooing of Penelope," (re¬ 
printed by kindpermisson of the Chap Book ) is a shad¬ 
ow play, to be enacted in pantomime behind a sheet or 
thin curtain, while the lines are read to the audience 
just preceding the action. ‘ ‘ The Muses Up-to-Date, ” 
written for girls, should be cast with reference to in- 



THE AUTHOR'S PROLOGUE 


IX 


dividual accomplishments required, and in this as 
well as in the other plays much latitude is given for 
incidental specialties. In “Trouble in the Garden ” 
the principal feature is, of course , the groups of liv¬ 
ing pictures , and a small army of children will be 
required for its presentation, with opportunities for 
very pretty artistic effects and a demand for no little 
study and preparation of necessary properties. ‘ 4 The 
Fairies' Revenge" is in recognition of a not unnatural 
desire on the fart of many children to assume Shakes¬ 
pearean characters, but it is not to be apprehended 
that such assumptions , as we have outlined, will too 
severely tax the capability of any child. Not even 
Shakesfeare himself could accuse us of gross pla¬ 
giarism. 

So much for a prologue which was begun as a well 
intended explanation and which is taking on the 
nature of an apology. The stage is waiting and we 
have overlooked the point that the author should not 
be heard from until the audience calls him. Let us 
ring up the curtain. 

H. D. F. 

R. M. F. 

Buena Bark, October, i8qq. 









CONTENTS 

PAGE 


THE MUSES UP-TO-DATE. 

- 


* 

9 

CINDERELLA. - 




- 63 

TROUBLE IN THE GARDEN. 

- 


- 

- 109 

THE MODERN CINDERELLA. 

- 


- 

- 145 

THE WOOING OF PENELOPE. - 

- 


- 

- 203 

A LESSON FROM FAIRY LAND. 

- 


- 

- 231 


XI 

















THE MUSES UP-TO-DATE. 


A MYTHOLOGICAL LIBERTY IN TWO ACTS 
WITH A PROLOGUE. 


